Nice Doggie
by Trolley
Summary: Dear, sweet, kind Mush takes in a dog off the street...needless to say, no good can come of that...r&r, please!


"Eh, get outta 'ere ya stupid mutt" Dutchy yelled angrily, almost tripping over the small dog that played about his feet.   
  
Mush looked over at the source of his friend's annoyance. Dear sweet, sensitive, kindly Mush knelt down to pet the dog. "Aww, look at 'im, Dutch, he's so cute!" He laughed as the mangy mutt jumped at him, licking and wagging its tail. "An' friendly, too!"  
  
Kid Blink laughed and bent down, patting the dog on his dirty, matted head. "Ey, it looks like Mush made a new friend!"   
  
"I t'ink he likes me!" Mush was having the time of his life playing with the lonely stray. "Say, ya t'ink we can keep 'im?"  
  
Dutchy snorted derisively and started to walk off. "Oh boy, I ain't havin no part in dis! You guys do whatcha want, but I don't t'ink it's a good idea!" He walked off, shaking his head and laughing.  
  
Mush ignored him and continued petting the dog. "Eh Blink, do ya t'ink it's okay if we take 'im wit us?"  
  
Blink chuckled and shook his head. "I don't t'ink so, Mush. Ya really t'ink Kloppman'll go fer dat?"  
  
"Ey, he let Itey 'ave dat ferret dat one time."  
  
Blink nearly collapsed with laughter as he remembered that incident. "Yeah, an' we awl know how dat turned out!" He wiped a tear from his eye as he recalled the look on Snoddy's face as he held up a crotch-less pair of pants. Not that that had been the extent of the ferret's destruction, but that's another story all together.  
  
"Yeah, but dis is different. Dis little dog ain't gonna do no harm! He can sleep outside, or even in bed wit me!" Mush was smitten.  
  
"Dogs eat. Dogs pee, dogs crap, an' den dey eat some more," Blink observed. "Now who's gonna take care o' awl dis while you's out sellin papes awl day?"  
  
"I can feed 'im scraps outta da garbage, an' he can come sellin wit me every day! Come on, we can at least try!" Mush looked from his dog to his friend imploringly.  
  
Blink shrugged. "Awight, but dere ain't no 'we' about it. Dis dog's gonna be your responsibility."  
  
Mush's face lit up and he rose to his feet. "Ya hear dat, boy? You're comin home wid us!" The dog perked up at the sound of Mush's voice and followed the boys.  
  
"So whatcha gonna name 'im?"  
  
Mush thought for a moment. "Buddy?"  
  
Blink wrinkled his nose. "Too over-used."  
  
"Fluffy? Scruffy?"  
  
Even the dog whimpered at these suggestions. Blink laughed. "Try again, Mush."  
  
He looked around and saw some kids playing some games in the street, then back to the black and white speckled dog. "How bout Domino?"  
  
Blink nodded approvingly. "Whatcha t'ink o' dat, boy?"   
  
Domino barked and wagged his tail happily. Mush laughed and took this as a good sign, even though that's what the dog had been doing the whole time. He continued to follow the boys excitedly as they approached the lodging house, greeted some of the guys who had congregated on the curb.   
  
"Ey Mush, what gives? Now you'se bringin ya goils home wit ya?" Racetrack greeted, nudging Skittery jokingly.   
  
Skittery laughed as was he accosted by the happy, slobbering dog. "Ya know Kloppman's gonna make ya sleep out 'ere if ya plan on keepin dat t'ing." He apprehensively pat the dog on the head so it would leave him alone.  
  
Mush shook his head. "Nah, I don't think he'll 'ave a problem wit it. Klop's a nice guy," he reasoned naively.  
  
"I jus got one word for ya, Mush," Skittery began with a chuckle, extinguishing his cigarette and standing up. "Ferret." This, of course, caused uncontrollable laughter by Blink and Race. Skittery walked off, knuckling Mush's head on the way.  
  
Blink finally composed himself enough to sputter, "Well Mush, it's worth a shot. Go on, talk to Kloppman. We'll watch Domino." He elbowed Race and the two again burst into chuckles. Mush simply rolled his eyes and smirked at them as he trudged into the lodging house.  
  
Mush found Mr. Kloppman sitting at his desk doing some paperwork and cleared his throat quietly to signal his presence.  
  
The old man jumped slightly. "Oh, hello Mush." Upon seeing the look on the boys face, he offered, "What can I 'elp ya with, son?"  
  
"Uh, well, uh, I was jus wonderin bout your rules regardin, uh, pets, in da lodgin house?" Mush asked meekly, putting on his best 'pretty-please-ain't-I-so-cute' face.   
  
"Well, Mush, I suppose dere ain't no rule against it," Kloppman began warily, trying to say something else but cut off.  
  
"You mean I can keep 'im?" Mush's face brightened.   
  
A look of confusion crossed the old man's brow, but, assuming that the boy was refering to the small stray that he watched Blink and Race playing with outside the window, he nodded slowly. "Alright, we can try it out. But ya know dis t'ing's gonna be your responsibility, ya 'ear? You's gonna feed it, clean up aftah it, an sure it don't cause no trouble wit da othah guys. Cause if I gets any complaints, he's out!"  
  
Mush grinned excitedly. "Oh, yes sir, thank you sir! You won't regret it, I promise!"  
  
Kloppman shook his head, muttered something or other, and got back to his paperwork as Mush ran happily outside.  
  
"Hey boy, guess what?" Mush laughed and knelt down as Domino ran up to him, tail wagging. "We get ta keep ya!"  
  
Blink chuckled and clapped his friend on the back. "I guess Kloppman fergot about da ferret…"  
  
The first night went pretty well. Domino was met with excitement and joviality by most of the boys, and greeted them such as well. After a slight bit of nagging, Jack conceded to let the dog stay until he caused any trouble. He was eventually won over when Domino jumped up in his laughed and happily licked his face. However, needless to say, Itey was a bit apprehensive, due to his previous experience. Dutchy still hadn't quite warmed up to the idea yet either, and he cast a glance over at Jake, who seemed to share his sentiments. But to the rest of the guys, the prospect of a new pet was fin and exciting. They played with him, trying to teach him various tricks, until it was time for bed and Domino curled up in Mush's bed.  
  
The first couple of days went semi-well -- aside from a few chewed shoes, late night barks, and miscellaneous "accidents," which Mush promptly cleaned up. However, Domino had won over the hearts of most, besides those aforementioned. That is, until one night…  
  
"Well guys, I t'ink I'm gonna go ahead an' turn in," Mush yawned with a stretch, standing up from the card game he was losing with Blink, Itey, Snitch, and Pie Eater. "Come on, boy." He lay down in bed and Domino curled up in his normal place at his master's feet. Most of the rest of the guys had climbed into their various beds and Mush was about to fall asleep, but someone had left the window open. Before anyone could realize this, a stray alley cat jumped in to escape the cold. Needless to say, Domino was the first to notice this occurance and was out of his bed with a bark before Mush could even sit up. "What's wrong, buddy?"  
  
Mush soon got his answer when the entire bunkroom erupted in a chorus of howls, screeches, and yells from the abruptly awakened newsies.   
  
"What's goin on?"  
  
"Mush, shut 'im up!"  
  
But the situation was now completely out of anyone's control. The ensuing cat and dog chase wreaked havoc throughout the bunkroom, sending clothes, fur, and various other things flying. Eventually Mush succeeded in tackling his dog and Blink and Skittery wrangled the hissing, scratching cat back out the window, slamming it behind the unwelcome guest. They glared at Mush and his new pet with angry, clawed up faces and wiped blood from various scratches and bites.  
  
Mush held the shaking, snarling dog close, gazing ashamedly around at the annoyed, sleepy faces and the shambles that had been made of the bunkroom.   
  
Jack walked over to Mush, a reprimanding yet slightly amused look on his face, and lay an arm around the embarrassed dog-owner's shoulders. "Mush, I t'ink it's time to let 'im go."  
  
~~~  
  
Spot Conlon sat down on the docks with some of his boys after a rather easy day of selling. Off in the distance, he spied a small, forlorn figure trotting up in his general direction. Intrigued, Spot stood up and walked over to the black and white spotted dog, kneeling down and patting its head. "Yeah, dat's a good boy. Ey buddy, ya wanna come home wit me?"  
  
~THE END~ 


End file.
